Off the Beaten Path, Sort Of!

I feel rejuvenated yet again thanks to sunshine, spontaneity, and camaraderie. Thankfully it doesn’t take a lot to nourish my soul, and for that I am grateful. Our weather is finally shifting in the right direction and although we don’t let the occasional rain or wind slow us down that much, we certainly do take advantage of the sudden bursts of clear sky and sun.

I enjoyed my daily walk around the property, checking for new splashes of colour and anything else interesting. I did happily come across a few things as well be the recipient of big smiles and waves from our elderly neighbours. They must wonder what this man is doing each day, wandering around the back forty, camera slug over my shoulder, head down, and sometimes, in my bathrobe!!!

As things often do, the day unfolded based on the hourly forecast and a note to Patricia Anne asking if they might want to join me in a walk. Response ended up in us heading their way after lunch and ending late in the evening following a very propitious adventure…….read on.

Marc was ensconced in Pat and Gary’s front room, he was working on his web page, while the four of us headed off to explore what turned out to be a wonderful trail/path/road that Pat and Gary had found which circuitously wound its way in and through Fuzeta where we picked up the salt flats.

The path wound through parts of Fuzeta I had never seen before and eventually came out to a place I knew well. I love finding new routes and thanks to Pat and Gary, I now have this one to add to my reportoire!

I was wanting to walk across the salt flats to enjoy the sea birds, the air, and check in a few familiar places just because I could! Once we came out into the village we wound our way towards the flats and a small narrow path we knew of that allowed us to avoid traffic. Along this path there is a tall wall and in the wall a number of portals that served some unknown purpose in times past. Some creative person had taken beer bottles, broken ceramics and created small “works of art” and placed them in the portals. I love things like that and the fact that people leave it alone and enjoy it.

The path was a bit wet in places from the recent rains but overall very passable. I take so much pleasure, as do the others, in walking across this magnificent area, where the salt is actively harvested in the old fashioned way, where the sea birds group in large flocks and squawk their annoyance at our presence, and the air is fresh and clean.

I had suggested our destination……..a place that holds pleasant memories for us over this past 10 years…….

With the heat, the humidity, the physical activity, and the length of the walk, we were all pretty pooped by the time we arrived back at P&G’s. The walk home was a bit slower but the views still wonderful

……and once home we were greeted with such gusto!

I love it.

So, our little “propitious” adventure. We had decided to go to Frango da Ria for dinner…….we walked there, sadly it wasn’t opened. We walked back, retrieved the cars and headed to Churrasqueira Marim (Dinis’s), sadly it was hosting a private party. We debated what to do and decided to try one last place….. Dom Franguito,near Olhão. Opened!! Yahoo

Pulled in the parking lot and my phone rang. It was my friend Sandy and her daughter Kate, who were scheduled to arrive yesterday. A small voice…..”hi there, where are you”? I told her and then I heard her say, “Oh my God, I’m in the parking lot of the same place, follow the flashing four ways”!!!!! There she was, unable to get her car into any gear, exhausted from a full day of travel, me being the only person here she could contact and as it turned out, due to all our circumstances of closed restaurants and moment by moment decisions, here I was literally 50 feet from her. Tell me the universe does not work in mysterious ways! The balance of the story is a long one but hey, Sandy and Kate were safely at their new “home” before we wound our way back to Quinta Ninette and so, our community grows and all remains good in our world.